Locked
by obsidians
Summary: Shampoo reflects on her life after being locked in cat form and finds out she has regrets. One shot, come on I can't even think how to extend this.


Weird one shot I came up with, no clue where this came from. Lol.

Sid

Shampoo was stretched out in a sunny patch idly digging her paws into the warm dirt and reflecting on her life. She'd been locked as a cat for twenty years and watched as Mousse's eldest daughter took the hand of the man she was destined to marry. He was a handsome man, young, strong, brave and would make her a good husband.

Shampoo examined her old flame; at the age of thirty six he was still as handsome as he'd been at the age of twenty. The years laid lightly on him, there were more laugh lines and the beginning of crow's feet, but rigorous training had kept his body well muscled and his waist small and neat. He looked so proud as he stood beside his strong, gorgeous brunette daughter who looked like the female counterpart of himself when he'd been that age. She had his large eyes and wore her hair in a long silken fall; her body was the perfect hourglass that Shampoo's had once had with her long legs and perfect features. She looked gorgeous in her bridal robes as she took her husband for life. This caused Shampoo's heart to ache for what she'd never had.

The trouble had started when she'd received a package from back home; containing a potion that guaranteed that Shampoo's strength would improve if she drank it. Seeing no reason not to trust a sister Amazon, she'd done that, only to be transformed into her cat form and had remained that way. Mousse had tried all temperatures of water and Cologne had tried every spell to try and change her back, only to die of a broken heart that her dearest great-grandchild and heir would never be human again. The other rivals to Ranma's affection had been surprisingly nice and had come to visit the shell shocked girl to express their sympathies, but Shampoo could tell they were glad to have one less rival. Slowly they stopped coming, until it was only the kind hearted Akane and occasionally Ranma himself, who had tried to remain friends with her. This made her sad because she had to witness their developing affection for each other, until they told her of their upcoming marriage.

On the eve of their wedding, Mousse had sensed the sadness in her and had sold the Nekohanten that Cologne had left to him because a cat couldn't legally inherit property. He'd taken them both back to China where she could now go as her kiss of marriage or death had been annulled for obvious reasons. She'd had to suffer the humiliation of receiving the shots that an ordinary cat needed to have in order to cross the border.

He'd first taken her to Jusenkyo and with bated breath, had placed her into the spring of the drowned young girl. He'd sobbed with anguish when it hadn't worked and she would have cried too if she could have. He'd been her biggest supporter and had tried to convince her that she would get back to normal and then they would marry.

It was a broken man who'd returned to the hut that he'd vacated in order to follow her to Japan...and she lived with him. He'd fed her best food he could and tried various remedies to restore her to how she'd been; he sought out wise women and hermits to no effect but never gave up trying.

It'd been Shampoo's own cousin, Magenta who was second in line to inherit Shampoo's leadership, who'd come to look after the distraught boy. She'd defied tradition and cooked for him and tried to bolster his flagging spirits. Magenta who had Shampoo's own features and raspberry colours eyes that matched the flaming hair that had been her namesake. Magenta, who people had said could have been her twin if Shampoo had dyed her hair. Magenta, with her soft voice and sexy ways. Magenta who'd always envied Shampoo for Mousse's devotion to her. Shampoo had tried to explain to her that he was annoying, but Magenta had seen only his attractiveness and husband potential. She would watch him with hungry eyes while he trotted behind Shampoo like he was her shadow.

Shampoo noticed his attentions starting to wane when he looked at Magenta and he would spend less time talking to Shampoo and treat her like a real cat. After all you can't make love to a cat; you can't marry one or put a ring on its finger. Talking is only one sided when someone has no voice to speak with or hands to write with. Finally one night Magenta stayed and Shampoo could only listen with anguish to the sounds of love making. Soon after she'd initiated him into manhood, Magenta had come to Mousse covered with blushes and explained that she was expecting his child and he opted to marry her because he loved her. There was no need of marriage by defeat when the bride's belly pushed against her bridal robe like a full moon.

Soon afterwards Magenta inherited leadership of the Amazons, once she'd been accepted by the council as Cologne's rightful heir and Mousse, herself and Shampoo had moved into the spacious hut of the leader. Its was that night that she'd leaned down to Shampoo's level while she still wore her wedding clothes and whispered "now I have it all and you're nothing. I hope you liked your drink; it was flavoured with your favourite berries"

Shampoo realized then who was responsible for her condition and had tried to tell Mousse by scratching what she'd said into the dirt. However, he now had the same blind devotion for Magenta that he'd shown to Shampoo in the past and refused to believe it. In his eyes Magenta could do no wrong, especially when she presented him with a beautiful daughter whose lusty cries promised she'd be strong.

Shampoo had to watch her ex-love grow and change with Magenta's influence. She'd gotten his eyes fixed by laser surgery and the comical boy with his herky jerky ways had disappeared, to be replaced by a man to be reckoned with.

Magenta had taken all his weakness and had put a positive spin on them. His martial arts form, which Shampoo had found to be wanting, became all the rage when Magenta had studied under him and pointed out the potential to others, until Mousse's tutelage had become in demand. He became not only a good father and husband, but had become the man behind the woman as he promoted her forward with unforgettable parties and arranged both her domestic and political life with aplomb. He rose high in the arena of politics allowed to a man and had become respected within their community. They soon had another daughter and then a son. They were the couple envied by all for their strong commitment to each other and their fertility and Shampoo had to witness it all, each kiss, each act of affection that passed between them and felt only great sorrow.

Twenty years was old for a cat and Shampoo wondered if she was bound to live a human life span in the guise of a cat, people often forgot she what had once been. A golden girl with the promise of a bright future, the destined future leader of the Amazon and the most powerful warrior of her generation. She'd once been married to a powerful outsider and had spurned the affection of the one she now lived with. She'd thought that Mousse was a joke and now the joke was on her because she'd fallen in love with the man he'd become and he could never be hers. All of this could have been hers and she'd let it slip through her fingers for the love of another who'd never loved her in return. Yes Mousse still treated her with kindness and respect, but she knew in her heart all she was to him was his pet.

Shampoo was now a thirty six year old cat and could only wonder what her life would have been like if she'd never gave into vanity and drank Magenta's deadly elixir. How would she look? How many children would she have had? She looked at Mousse and Magenta beautiful bright children and pictured herself as their mother. This made her happy for a moment; they had all been good children and were growing into strong minded adults. Who called her Aunt Shampoo out of respect. Magenta caught Shampoo's eye and gave her a look of triumph; Shampoo got up and quietly padded away. She'd sworn one day she would get her revenge if she had to claw her to death.


End file.
